Chapter 104: The Turn

The wind on the slope was fierce, causing several large pine trees to sway their branches and leaves, with the sound of the wind roaring in his ears. Suddenly, Lin felt a void beneath his feet, stepping on something soft and intangible.

A disguised net covering an ambush spot?!

Although he immediately halted his steps, at this moment, Lin had a lot to consider.

Was this the only ambush spot on the slope, or were there two or three? If he directly lifted the disguise net, should he end it with a single stroke or attempt to capture? If the opponent was already prepared, how should he respond?

Considering that his footstep might have already attracted the attention of the enemy, Lin had no time to think. He crouched down, using the tip of his dagger to gently lift the net, which blended seamlessly with the ground. At that moment, he suddenly felt a pair of eyes staring at him.

This was definitely a scene straight out of a horror movie!

His mind almost went blank, but faced with life and death, Lin knew he had to overcome this psychological barrier. With determination, he gritted his teeth and, awkwardly, let his right foot push off the ground, falling downward. In an instant, his knee and shin simultaneously felt the impact on a human body rather than solid earth, accompanied by a muffled groan. In the complete darkness, Lin couldn't determine the target's condition, so he relied on intuition to thrust his dagger downward.

Years later, Lin still considered this scene to be the most disastrous moment of his military career.

If he had slit the throat with one stroke, both sides would have been spared their respective pains, but Lin's thrust only pierced the enemy's back. The Russian soldier cried out in pain, but fortunately, he didn't have enough strength, and being in a pit dug in advance, his voice didn't become a warning alarm to his comrades.

Like a housewife failing to slaughter a chicken, Lin, in a panic, simultaneously pulled out his knife with his right hand and thrust again, while using his left hand to fiercely strike the enemy's head with the brand-new Mauser pistol—this unlucky Soviet soldier, when attacked by Lin, was lying in this pit, using a camouflaged periscope to observe to the west, completely unaware of Lin and Karl climbing up from the side and behind. What's worse, he had put his steel helmet aside, which could have protected his head. The Model 1932 Mauser military pistol was such a lethal weapon. Aimed at the back of the head, two strikes knocked him out cold, and the consecutive slashes on his back were brutal and fierce.

If it weren't for the muffled sounds of "puff, puff" nearby, Lin's dazed and confused state might have continued.

"Karl?"

His thoughts were like a television with its power cut off but restored—it resumed normal operation after being reconnected—Lin looked up and saw Karl squatting beside a pine tree two meters away, with his rifle aimed in the opposite direction.

Confirming that the target on their side was completely neutralized, Lin crawled over with a face and body covered in blood. Sure enough, there was another hidden sentry here. If Karl hadn't dealt with it in time, they might have used their rifles to sound the alarm!

Regaining his senses and inspecting the scene, Lin found that each of these two sentries had a Mosin-Nagant rifle with a sniper scope, and the pits they dug were oriented in different directions, providing a view of all sides. Fortunately, the overcast sky obscured the night, and these Soviet soldiers did not have night vision equipment, allowing Lin and Karl to take advantage of the situation.

Phew...

Sitting against the pine tree, Lin felt exhausted. The process of killing the enemy soldiers still left him shaken, but the strong sense of responsibility, driven by ambition, made him force himself up. His soldiers assigned to command were already on their way to the north side of Capoca Village. This strong sense of responsibility made him rise with all his might. Originally intended to call Karl, Lin thought it over and decided that if the night attack hadn't started yet, the Soviet sentries on duty would likely come by and see their comrades killed. It was better to let Karl stay with a silenced pistol here, eliminating two enemies for every pair that arrived, relieving himself of any concerns.

The clouds covering the moon had passed, and the bright moonlight once again illuminated the land ravaged by war. Lin was about to give instructions to Karl when he saw him squatting beside another pine tree, holding his rifle and staring into the northwest. Lin approached quietly and asked in a low voice, "Hey, Karl, what do you see?"

Karl didn't speak, but directly handed the sniper rifle to Lin and pointed downward towards the northwest foot of the slope. There, a sparse pine forest, covering an area of only two or three acres, was a common sight in Eastern Europe. After carefully observing through the rifle's scope, Lin was suddenly shocked: not only were there moving figures in the pine forest, but he could also see three motorcycles and cars!

If it weren't for the bright moonlight, if they weren't standing on the hilltop, if they hadn't used the sniper rifle's scope, Lin knew he wouldn't have discovered the Soviet forces lurking in the forest. If they had followed the original plan to flank Capoca Village, they would probably end up being surrounded and annihilated by the enemy.

The more he encountered such unexpected situations, the more Lin longed for a mobile phone or a walkie-talkie. Even if he and Karl went to inform separately, it probably wouldn't stop Eric from launching the attack. Ensuring the safe retreat of all three groups would be even more difficult.

Lin looked at Karl beside him, feeling helpless. What could an ordinary soldier like him say?

With no other choice, Lin could only say to Karl, "Go find Sergeant Eric and tell him that the Russian troops are ambushing around the village, and there may also be ambushes inside the village. Regardless of whether their attack has started or how smoothly it is progressing when you arrive, make sure they evacuate as soon as possible!"

"Okay!" Karl responded without hesitation. Thinking it over, he asked Lin, "What about you, sir?"

"If the gunfire rings out in the village, the Soviet troops here will definitely move out. I'll find a way to hold them off here! Tell Sergeant Eric not to worry about my safety and to try to avoid this area when retreating!" Lin didn't need to hide his intentions; he just wanted to make his words sound more tragic.

"No, sir, let me stay!" Karl's unexpectedly firm tone surprised Lin, and he had a moment of hesitation, but he still rejected the soldier's request.

"Follow orders!" This sentence was said plainly but coldly.

Karl said nothing, silently saluting Lin before leaving, leaving behind all the ammunition he carried.

Once his companion left the hilltop, Lin sighed. He had always felt that being a lone hero was majestic, but when the day really came, he felt incredibly lonely. At this moment, he thought of little Caroline, Alice, the "Butcher," and those dull but ordinary days in the past.

One day, he would bid farewell to the past.

Setting aside his sentimental thoughts, Lin walked with his assault rifle into the pit cleared by Karl, flipping over the remains of the Soviet soldier lying on his back—this guy had been shot twice in the head and chest, so he probably didn't suffer much pain when he died. Compared to him, the guy next door was much more miserable.

Using his dagger, Lin cut off two strips of cloth from the Russian soldier's uniform and tied together the four magazines left by Karl in pairs, then placed the MP44 aside and picked up the Mosin-Nagant rifle with a sniper scope to observe the situation in the pine forest. He couldn't tell how many Soviet soldiers were ambushed there, and the motorcycles and cars he could observe might only be a small part of them. Fortunately, they were still unaware of the changes on the hilltop. With this advantage, Lin could calmly estimate the distance, wind direction, and speed, and collect all usable weapons and ammunition from the bodies of the two Russian soldiers.

Bang! Bang! Rat-tat-tat...

The sound of gunfire finally rang out. Lin turned his head to look at Capoca Village, although he couldn't see the battle scene with his naked eyes, he could vividly imagine it in his mind. For Sergeant Eric, who had fought side by side, and for those new comrades he had only been with for less than a day, Lin could only silently pray for them, hoping they would have good luck.